Posted on January 11, 2010March 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: Advanced Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson Review: Advanced Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson Reviewed by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #59, 1999 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five, 2008 Video: Advanced Inlay Techniques Larry Robinson Robinson Custom Inlays, 1998 After a book and two videos of inlay instruction you might wonder if anything is left for Larry Robinson to teach. Well, there’s plenty, including some leftover stuff if Larry ever decides to make a fourth video. Robinson’s book gave scant coverage to inlaying signatures, and that’s where the bulk of instruction is placed in Advanced Inlay Techniques. The signatures start as mere pencil lines, and by the time they are reduced to fit on the fingerboard at the 12th fret, they are very thin lines indeed. On work of this delicacy he tries to talk each customer into inlays of gold or silver, rather than shell, and the signatures inlaid in the video are cut from gold sheet stock. The signature in cursive is narrower than the cuts made by the 000 jeweler’s saw blades, less than .010". Cutting such work from shell might well be left to lasers. There is also a trick method of routing for such intricate work that pretty much guarantees accurate results and prevents the tearout of ebony where only dots and bits are to be left. A side excursion is made to examine the use of computers to lay out and alter signatures and lettering, which may be eye-opening for anyone still trying to fight off computer literacy. Robinson maintains that this one program has more than paid for his computer, as well as having brought a measure of ease to his work life. The lettering segment goes on to address block lettering, shaded letters, and the use of various fonts inlaid in a variety of materials. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Use Any Wood You Like Letter: Use Any Wood You Like by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #25, 1991 Dear Tim, In 1981 I bought a new Alvarez-Yari 6-string, with laminated rosewood back and solid spruce top. Lots of guitars sound as good, but hardly any sound better. Lots of guitars are as playable, but very few play nicer. I’ve worked on or played dozens of high end, exquisitely made guitars and a bunch of vintage pieces, and not one has ever blown me away. Early in my career I helped do sound at a local folk benefit. Lots of fine talent turned out, sporting a number of classy guitars. But a low-end mahogany Yamaha blew them all away, no contest. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Start by Building a Dulcimer Letter: Start by Building a Dulcimer by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #24, 1990 Dear Members, Novice luthiers need a wood that is available, inexpensive, worthy of respect, and that they are not afraid of. A couple times a year would-be guitar makers come to my shop for advice. They have done some homework, so they know the theoretical aspects of choosing wood. They won’t mail-order because this is their first step into lutherie and they want to choose the wood personally. Most find their way to the Martin factory, and when they show up again it is with a box of wood and parts that cost them a half day and at least $350. They view the wood as not only expensive, but irreplaceable. In their minds they can hear the rain forests crashing down. Months later, they want to talk guitarmaking. No, they haven’t quite started yet. They should build a little shrine and place their wood on its altar; better to sacrifice it to the lutherie gods than to splinter their dream in the workshop. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Superglue Finish Interaction Questions: Superglue Finish Interaction by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 John Calkin of Greenville, Virginia responds to Milan Sabljic’s question regarding wenge and Willy Ware’s questions regarding superglue’s interaction with finishes. Wenge is hard, yet very brittle. Splinters are a constant threat. There’s also a striking difference in hardness between the wood from different seasons. I recently made a copy of a Gibson L-00 with wenge sides that were sort of quartered and a back that was flatsawn. Keeping the back free of ripples was a nasty task involving a lot of block sanding. It’s almost as bad as softwood in this respect. Wenge is also one of those surprise woods that attack some people. The man who gave me my first piece of wenge said it gave him an intense headache when he resawed it. The exact same board had no affect on me. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family Letter: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #26, 1991 Concerning Bill Colgan, Jr.’s letter and the Dremel tool: it has always been a wimpy little router, but the new one really is a dog. My new one has the same problem as Bill’s. In the middle of cutting a saddle slot the chuck began whipping around, cutting a jagged slot. Adjusting the cut to almost nothing didn’t help. Dremel has always been very good about fixing or replacing their Moto-Tools (you have to have at least two, so that you can keep working while the broken/burned-up one is in transit), but this looked like a design flaw. I splurged on a Bosch 1608L laminate trimmer, and I couldn’t be happier. The Bosch is what all Moto-Tools want to be when they grow up. Woodworker’s Supply of New Mexico (among others) sells a kit of carbide bits, 1/16", 3/16", and 1/8" cutters on a 1/8" shaft. A brass collet adaptor for 1/4" collets comes with the kit, and once you have the adaptor you can use most of your Dremel bits. You have to make all new jigs, but it’s worth it. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
